Gas Engine Selection Criteria for Cogeneration – A Comprehensive Approach to Optimization

Selecting the right gas engine for cogeneration applications is a strategic decision that has a significant impact on the efficiency and profitability of the entire system. This process requires a thorough analysis of many factors, both technical and economic. Below are the most important criteria to consider when making a decision.

Power and performance

• Rated power: The engine power should be matched to the electrical and thermal energy requirements of the facility. An engine that is too small does not provide an optimal return on investment.
• Efficiency: High engine efficiency translates into lower fuel consumption and lower operating costs. Consideration should be given to both electrical and thermal efficiency.
• Operational flexibility: The engine should be able to operate over a wide range of loads to adapt to changing operating conditions.

Power supply fuel

• Fuel type: Gas engines can run on different types of fuel, such as natural gas, biogas, or syngas. The choice of fuel depends on the availability and price in a given region.
• Fuel quality: Fuel quality has a significant impact on the durability of the engine and its emissions. Attention should be paid to the content of pollutants such as hydrogen sulphide or hydrogen chloride.

Pollutant emissions

• Normy emisji: Silnik powinien spełniać obowiązujące normy emisji zanieczyszczeń, takie jak NOx, CO i pyły.

• Technologie oczyszczania spalin: Dostępność i skuteczność systemów oczyszczania spalin mają istotny wpływ na koszty eksploatacji i środowiskowy aspekt inwestycji.

Durability and reliability

• Service life: The engine should have a long service life and require minimal maintenance.
• Availability of spare parts: It is important that spare parts are readily available and replaceable.

Costs

• Investment cost: Compare the prices of different engine models and choose the one that provides the best price-quality ratio.
• Operating costs: Operating costs include fuel consumption, maintenance and repair costs.
• Service costs: It is worth paying attention to the service costs and service availability in a given region.

Noise

• Noise level: The noise level emitted by the engine should comply with applicable standards and not cause a nuisance to the surroundings.

Additional features

• Ability to work in cogeneration systems: The engine should be adapted to work in a cogeneration system, enabling waste heat recovery.
• Ability to work in a network: In the case of connecting the engine to the power grid, it should meet the requirements for voltage and frequency stability. Criteria for selecting a specific gas engine model.
• Manufacturer: Here, the manufacturer of the device plays an important role, ensuring not only high product quality, but also the availability of service support. And this is exactly the case with CATERPILLAR brand products. High standards apply to both CAT products and specialist service support for devices.
• References: It is worth getting acquainted with the opinions of other users and sample implementations of the engine supplier.
• Warranty: A long manufacturer’s warranty proves the high quality of the product, and this is exactly what we are dealing with in the case of CATERPILLAR products.
• Service: Service availability and speed of response to possible failures are very important, which is why our customers appreciate the service support offered by Eneria.

Summary

• Choosing the right gas engine for cogeneration requires a comprehensive approach. Many factors must be taken into account, such as power, efficiency, emissions, durability, costs and compliance with applicable standards. A properly selected gas engine will allow for high energy efficiency and a significant reduction in operating costs.

Our experts Adam Kiciński and Jakub Bigoszewski talk more about the criteria for selecting gas engines in cogeneration in the next film from the series “Gas turbines vs. gas engines – complementary solutions in cogeneration”.